Here We Stand United
by Gothic-Princess-77
Summary: Lydia's just a princess of a fallen kingdom forced to turn to the life of a pirate to survive. When she's thrown overboard during a storm and taken prisoner by the Outcasts, she meets dragon trainers. Now, the Ereborians and Vikings must team up to take down Alvin before he attempts to "train" Smaug and take over the world.
1. Chapter 1

Hey there guys! So, I've absolutely not a clue where this idea came from but it appeared and would not leave me alone until I posted it.

This is my first fanfic for the Hobbit AND How To Train Your Dragon, and both are AU, so...

In this story, all the Berk teens are about sixteen/seventeen, and it goes kind of AU before "We Are Family" on the TV series.

Bilbo is a girl-Bilba Baggins. (I know, not original...at all, and rather sucky.) Thorin and his Company did not reclaim Erebor, and Gandalf is not in the story. Frodo is Thorin and Bilba's son, and my OC Lydia is their daughter, and she's about sixteen while Frodo is eighteen. They're all human and age normally. This will mostly be in Lydia's point of view.

Rated-T

**Warnings**

Abuse/torture

Some OOC-ness maybe

I might not get all of their talking entirely accurate so please bear with me

**Things you need to know**

_Lydia speaking in Khuzdul_

Disclaimer-I don't own the Hobbit or How To Train Your Dragon.

* * *

Here We Stand United

Chapter 1

Lydia's eyes fluttered open, and quickly snapped shut. It was too bright out. Damn it, how many times had she told Fili and Kili to not open the window in her room below deck? She was going to hit them when she saw them next.

Speaking of her horrid cousins, why hadn't they sent Gimli in here after her yet? They would never allow their little cousin to sleep so late. And why hadn't Frodo spoken yet? He had this bad tendency to talk to himself, and she could usually hear his mumbling from down the hall, or when he sometimes wandered into her small space, thinking it was his.

Finally, she opened her eyes, and she groaned as she remembered everything that had happened. She had been hoping the nightmare with that storm and the swimming dragon had all been some kind of twisted dream, but it wasn't. She was still locked in a dungeon, held prisoner by a group that called themselves "The Outcasts." Wonderful. Frodo was never going to let her live this down.

She heard them before she saw them, and she quickly closed her eyes and evened out her breathing, hoping they would think she was asleep.

No such luck.

"We know you're awake girl. Might as well open your eyes." Grimacing, Lydia reluctantly complied, sitting up straight and staring reproachfully at the man who called himself Alvin the Treacherous. He was a big man, broad at the shoulders, and waist, but his legs were almost comically skinny. If she wasn't in a situation like this, she might have laughed. As it was, she dared not for fear he would hit her. She knew he would not hold back like her bigger, stronger companions would whenever they trained.

Alvin had a big, dark beard, and the look in his eyes reminded her of Dwalin, except Dwalin was taller, and he had tattoos that had great significant value in Khuzdul, and it seemed Alvin could easily beat Dwalin in terms of how bulky he was, but Dwalin was probably a better warrior, and a stronger one. She met his dark glare, staring unflinchingly into his black, soulless eyes. Her 'adad had long ago taught her to never show fear.

And so began the flow of questions.

Alvin was always thorough with his questions, but also very repetitive. He reminded her of Dori in that way, although Dori had more imagination that Alvin, and was a great deal nicer, and the eldest brother of Ri might have taken offense to her comparing him to this brute, but he was the only reference she had.

"What's your name?" Alvin would always ask, and Lydia would just blink at him, not once even considering telling him who she was. Someone such as him had no right to know her full title. Alvin would growl in frustration and continue the questions,

"Where are you from?" Lydia just yawned over exaggeratedly, and study her nails in a bored fashion. It was so amusing to do that, because it always enraged the broad Outcast. He growled again, louder this time, and would pause his questions to threaten her, which seemed to be the only area where he got imaginative.

Good for him.

And the next question? "Where did you learn to fight like that?" Ha! As if he would even know if she told him! Lydia couldn't just say, matter-of-factly, 'Well, the Head Guard of the Kingdom of Erebor is great friends with my 'adad, who just so happens to be the fallen King Under the Mountain, and they all insisted I know how to fight with every weapon.' Yeah, that'd go over great. And once Alvin deciphered all of that information, he'd just have a field day with the fact that, yes, she was a princess, technically.

Then his two goons, one smaller than him and probably smarter, and the other the same size but probably dumber, would scowl at her something fierce, give her some disgusting gruel and murky water, before all three of them would head back above ground, leaving her to wallow in her self-pity in this dark hole and wonder if her family had even survived.

Today, they broke the pattern, turning their attention towards the cell next to her, which she hadn't even realized was occupied until now. There were five teens there, all of them about her age, and half of them asleep.

She crawled towards the cell next to her, all too happy to ignore the slop they called food in favor of pressing her face against the bars and watching with honest curiosity.

There were three blonds. Two were skinny and looked very similar, practically identical, and if she had to guess she would say they were twins. The third was taller, with a little more meat on her bones, and a scowl on her face. She was really pretty, and Lydia felt a twinge of envy, tugging on her own, stringy and braided dark hair that was just like her 'adad's.

There was another boy, broad and muscular, with hair nearly as dark as her own, and dark, serious eyes, with his facial features kind and harsh at the same time. Odd, yet ruggedly handsome.

The final teen, was another boy with bright red hair and freckles dusted across his nose. Although, to look at him, you might think him a girl, she could tell he was a boy if she stared at him for a minute. His eyes were a brilliant green, and he was missing a leg, a slab of metal where the limb should have been.

Alvin barked at the teens for a while, and Lydia felt herself becoming bored. It was just going to be like the routine he'd had with her for...how long had she been here? Three days? A week? Time didn't seem to pass here, and she hated it. She felt disconnected, and had no way of knowing what was going on outside of her cell. Had her family survived? Would they show up, or skip the island? When did the sun rise and moon set? She didn't know.

Lydia was brought from her musings when she heard the unmistakable sound of someone being slapped. One of the scrawny blond kids, the girl if she was not mistaken, had just been slapped. She felt rage boil inside of her. She hated when she saw anything resembling abuse. It was what drove her to drastic measures whenever they raided a village. Not one of the Ereborians she travelled with would even consider raising a hand against someone they cared about unless it was in a good-natured tussle.

_"Bastard weakling! Why don't you give me a sword and we'll have a **fair **fight!" _Lydia snarled, and Alvin jumped, his dark gaze falling on Lydia once again before he began to laugh. Lydia glared holes into his head as he kept laughing to his minions about language barriers and such, not knowing that Lydia understood everything he said and was growing angrier by the second. What she wouldn't give for one of Nori's throwing knives she could deal with Alvin the only way she knew how; with violence.

"Leave 'em be. C'mon, let's go," Alvin snickered and Lydia glared until she was sure he was gone, and then she glanced back at the girl who was holding her already bruised face.

"You okay?" Lydia asked quietly, but gruffly. She wasn't entirely sure she got that right, or even if that was their language, but she was rewarded for her troubles.

"Yeah, fine. I think the ass was holding back. Thanks. I'm Ruffnut, by the way. The ugly one is my twin, Tuffnut. Who are you?" Ruffnut asked, her light-colored blue eyes falling on Lydia's ice one. Lydia offered a small, genuine smile. She was glad Ruffnut was okay.

Like her Mother had always insisted, Lydia stood and said with a bow, "Lydia of the line of Durin, at your service."

* * *

So, like it, or hate it?

Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! Welcome back to my crossover! I'm glad people liked it!

I forgot to mention, also in this story, we will see Merry and Pippin! It'll be later, though, and here's a hint, they'll be twins in this story!:)

Rated-T

**Warnings**

Abuse/torture

Some OOC-ness maybe

I might not get all of their talking entirely accurate so please bear with me

**Things you need to know**

_Lydia speaking in Khuzdul_

Disclaimer-I don't own the Hobbit or How To Train Your Dragon.

* * *

Here We Stand United

Chapter 2

The hours flew by, turning into days, and the days gradually turned into a week. How did she know this? Alvin took the Berk teens above ground for a few hours every day at a certain time. It was the only way she knew the date had changed, and the only thing that kept her sane was talking to the other teens.

She'd learned they were from an island called Berk, and that the Outcasts had once lived their as well, until they were banished for attempting to overthrow the chief, who she was told was actually the red-head's father. The red-head was Hiccup, and apparently hiccup meant runt. For years, his own father had been ashamed of him, until the day he trained a dragon, a Night Fury.

At first, the Vikings had been as wary of dragons as the Ereborians would have been if Lydia herself had suggested something similar, but when Hiccup and his friends had proven that they could trust dragons, could work with them, a tentative alliance began that was still touch-and-go to this day, though the dragons would never attack the people of Berk unless it was a rogue dragon doing the attacking.

That was what Alvin wanted from them now. He wanted these teenagers from Berk, the first dragon riders, to teach him and his savage people how to train their own dragons. Hiccup and his friends refused, naturally, and now Alvin was bound and determined to get it out of them, one way or another.

Even after they all came back beat up, bloodied and battered, their was a defiance and pride in all of their eyes, and she always knew without even asking that they had not said a word of what Alvin wanted to hear.

With her eyes she watched, and with her ears she listened, using all of Nori's stealth training, picking up speaking patterns, looking for weaknesses in guards, gradually getting a feel for her surroundings and her new prison.

Then the day came when Alvin and his men came into the dungeon and bodily removed Lydia alongside the other teens that were held prisoner. It threw the pattern off and she was caught slightly unawares, floundering to catch her metaphorical balance as she was dragged above ground for the first time in possibly weeks, and she flinched away from the bright light of the sun that shone in her eyes, blinding her, despite how weak it was here compared to Dale, outside Erebor. They were brought to a closed in arena that reminded her slightly of their training area aboard their pirate ship.

Suddenly Alvin grabbed her by the throat and lifted her slightly off the rocky ground. Snarling quietly to herself, she dug her fingernails into his meaty fist and glared darkly at him. "Now, you can show us how this training business is done, or I snap her neck," Alvin threatened with a chuckle. He would probably be very happy with either option. Snarling quietly, she began trying to pry his hands from her neck as the minutes ticked by.

None of the teens wanted to be the first to speak and betray their home, but not one of them wanted to watch Lydia die right in front of them.

The teens did not reply, and Alvin's grip on her throat tightened. "I'm waiting," he hissed, glaring at Hiccup. Still they hesitated and Lydia's vision started going dark around the edges even while she hissed like a snake, still struggling to free herself.

"Mahal damn it! Lemme go already!" Lydia finally roared with what little air she had left, fed up with being strangled, and startling Alvin. As far as the Outcasts knew, Lydia didn't know any of their language, and while to begin with it had been spotty at best, she had gradually adapted and learned it. Alvin laughed with twisted delight and released her, and she fell to the ground and landed on her butt. She had no time to recover, as then Alvin grabbed her dark, braided hair and yanked on it, causing Lydia to howl in pain and outrage. To touch an Ereborian's braids without their consent was a crime punishable by death, especially if that Ereborian was of the line of Durin.

"Leggo Leggo Leggo! Just you wait! My family will come and when my 'adad hears about this, he'll skin you alive!" Lydia shrieked, and Alvin paused.

"'Adad, huh? That's an Ereborian word, of the Khuzdul language. If I didn't know better, I might guess you hailed from that land, little girl, but that's not possible. Erebor fell to a red Fire Drake years ago, and unless I'm mistaken, everyone perished or disappeared," Alvin taunted, and Lydia became enraged. She saw red.

_"What do you know you bastard?! I'll tear you apart! I'll rip out your beard and have you tarred before all Ereborians when we reclaim our kingdom from Smaug! I'll have you disgraced before all and then you will hang in front of the great iron doors of my forefathers as a reminder of what happens to those who mess with Durin's line!" _Lydia howled, but of course Alvin could not understand her, because in her rage she had slipped back into Khuzdul.

"Where did a little thing like you learn Khuzdul? Those Ereborians guard their heritage jealously," Alvin mused, ignoring Lydia's struggles, before he laughed again and said, "ah, no matter. Savage! Release the Scauldron! I'm sure it'll make quick work of this little one!" Alvin shouted, and then threw Lydia into the center of the arena, exiting with the Berk teens being dragged out and the gate closed with a foreboding finality.

She beat back the panic as another, massive wooden gate was cranked open, and she got a good look at the dragon Alvin wanted to destroy her by. Its sales were a deep, sea blue, obviously so it didn't stand out in the ocean, and it had a long, slender neck that seemed to twist around a bit. There was a horn on the top front of its head, and it had a large jaw, reminding her slightly of a bird she'd once seen called a pelican. Its body was small but muscular, and its tail was broad, large, fanned at the end, and powerful. It had large wings with beautiful designs on it, and had she been more like her mother, she would have stopped in her hate-fest to appreciate such beauty in such a graceful creäture, but she was more like her 'adad than her Mam. She looked into its eyes briefly, determined to not show fear, and froze.

It was the same species of the dragon that had attacked their ship! She quickly broke its gaze for a moment, digesting this information. Filled with new courage, Lydia locked eyes with the creäture like she had the one that attacked her ship, and something clicked in her head. Was it...was it the same dragon? That look in its eyes, one that spoke of sorrow, and hunger, was unlike anything she'd ever seen before, and Lydia paused for a moment.

Then a large clang echoed throughout the arena, spurring the dragon to action. It roared, showing its fangs and the water gathered in its mouth, which puzzled her. She didn't have time to think on it as suddenly a jet stream of water fired at her. That was when she decided it was okay to run. She ducked around the ring, trying to evade the dragon and its sharp teeth, but it easily kept up. Her breathing remained steady since she was in top physical condition, but she had no idea how long she could keep it up.

"Lydia! Lydia, listen to me! You have to stand your ground, and approach it slowly and cautiously. Show him your a friend!" Hiccup shouted to her. Lydia tried to process this information as quickly as her brain would allow. How was she supposed to approach it calmly when it was chasing her?!

"Hey! Stupid dragon! Look at me! Neh!" Snotlout shouted, standing above the dome and waving his arms around, mocking the dragon to distract it. The Scauldron didn't seem to take too kindly to that as it shot a stream of water right at the Viking teen, hitting him dead-on. Snotlout swore from the pain, but his idiocy have given Lydia the gap and time she needed. Slowly, she approached, hands raised in a placating manner as she began to hum randomly. She didn't even know what she was humming, but the Scauldron paused, its glowing yellow eyes seeming to soften as it lowered its long neck to sniff at her uncertainly.

Once again, they locked eyes. For what seemed like an eternity they stood there, dragon and Ereborian, and then the dragon lowered its head and pushed its snout into her open hand, which was still extended towards the beast. Awed by the cool touch of its scales, Lydia began to gently and hesitantly pet the beast. It let out a gentle purr, and Lydia smiled slightly. After everything, who would of thought she'd form a tentative friendship with a dragon?

Roughly, she was yanked away, by Alvin himself, and while the Scauldron roared it was dragged back to its cage. Lydia felt despair wash over her as she craned her neck to get one last glance at **_her_ ** dragon before she was taken back below ground, away from the weak sunlight and was consumed by darkness once again.

* * *

Ha! Did you think they were going to escape?! With the help of JUST this one dragon?! No! It's not that simple, it never is!

I'm not sure how I felt about this chapter. It was basically a filler chapter. The good parts of the story are coming up next! It's completely different than the rough draft I had you read, 'Lyn!

Until next time, readers!

REVIEW!


	3. Chapter 3

Rated-T

**Warnings**

Abuse/torture

Some OOC-ness maybe

I might not get all of their talking entirely accurate so please bear with me

**Things you need to know**

_Lydia speaking in Khuzdul_

Disclaimer-I don't own the Hobbit or How To Train Your Dragon.

* * *

Here We Stand United

Chapter 3

"You really connected with that Scauldron, Lydia," Hiccup said when he was sure that Alvin and his goons had left. He was trying to be encouraging, but failing miserably. Their situation was really starting to sink in, and he was slowly losing hope. They'd all been dumped in separate cages this time, but despite that, Lydia didn't hear a word Hiccup had said and might as well have been millions of miles away. She was too busy thinking.

Her time here was up. Alvin now knew she could adapt to anything he threw at her, and he knew she knew some Ereborian customs. It was only a matter of time before the pieces of the puzzle fell into place in his mind, and she needed to be long gone by the time that happened. The last thing she needed was for Alvin to find out her full title and take advantage of her heritage.

So, she put all the training Nori had ever given her to use, her mind working as fast as it could to piece together all the information she'd observed during that one trip above ground and then back below.

They were in pretty deep, as far as she could tell, so that put her at a distinct disadvantage, considering she could easily be caught in that amount of time. From what little she knew of the island when she was washed ashore and before she had had a scuffle with the Outcasts, there was no other land for miles, and the ships were closely guarded. Dragon attacks happened often, but most of the Outcasts were down right stupid. This was to her advantage considering the dumbest of them all had been entrusted with the keys to all the cells. However, this likely also meant that he was the strongest right after Alvin himself. If she could just get to the Scauldron, though...

"Listen, I have a plan, but you have to trust me," Lydia said quickly as she suddenly spun back towards the Viking teen, startling him. He'd been concerned for a moment, wondering if something was wrong for her, and had stepped forward to get her attention when she spun around, which was why he fell back a few steps before regaining his balance. Hiccup nodded mutely so Lydia continued, "I need Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Snotlout to keep the guard with the keys distracted when they come with the food. I'll slide out to get to the Scauldron and fly off to get help. You just have to tell me which way I'm going to get to Berk and who I'm looking for."

Hiccup hesitated. He had known Lydia for barely a week, and also knew next to nothing about her. How could he just trust her like that? Lydia quickly lost patience with the intelligent teen.

"You're with me or you're against me. Either way I will be attempting this escape because there isn't much time left."

Hiccup made his decision quickly after that. "Berk is a few miles North of here. It's a large island surrounded by slightly smaller islands and it's the only one inhabited around here. Impossible to miss. You're looking for my dad, Stoic the Vast. Tell him you know me, and please, tell him your full title, not this half-thing you gave us." Lydia looked momentarily surprised that Hiccup had caught on to that, but then she smirked. So, his intelligence was higher than she thought. It was something to be appreciated when all of her family thought with their muscles.

"Very well, Hiccup, and thank you."

*THIS IS A PAGE BREAK*

It wasn't too much later that Alvin's goon came down with the slop they called food. Even though it had probably only been a few hours, the air in the dungeon was tense as everyone prepared for the escape. Lydia was coiled tensely, but she did not let it show. If her apprehension showed, the guard would get suspicious. She kind of wished she had taken Nori up on his offer of carrying around one of her lock picks, though. It would make things slightly easier as in she wouldn't have to steal the keys to be freed.

"Hey ugly! You gonna let us out yet?" Ruffnut jeered, a nasty look on her face as she glared at the idiot.

"Uh..."

"Your uglier face is confusing him!" Tuffnut shouted to his twin, enraging her. The two flung themselves against their cages to fight, but unfortunately for them and fortunately for everyone else, Snotlout's was in between theirs.

"I demand that you either give me a new cell or put these two in the same one!" Snotlout shrieked, ducking away from their flailing limbs as they screeched and roared at each other. The ruckus they were causing successfully distracted the guard, and as he walked past Lydia's cell to take care of all the noise, Lydia's hand shot out and snatched the key ring from his belt loop.

_"Yes!"_

The Ereborian quickly set to work, twisting her arm through the bars to fiddle with the lock. Alvin's dumb guard was quickly getting the noise level under control and it was only a matter of seconds before he turned around and saw her trying to unlock her cage. He'd successfully hit Tuffnut upside the head to shut him up, and was turning to Ruffnut and Snotlout, who were now shouting at each other to keep his attention.

_Five..._

Snotlout received a hard punch to the face, causing him to shriek some more.

_Four..._

Only when he got hit a few more times did he finally shut up and fall back to sit against the wall of his cage and sulk. Ruffnut kept taunting Alvin's left hand man as he turned to her.

_Three..._

Ruffnut was clearly smarter than her brother, Snotlout, and Alvin's goon, because she successfully avoided all of his attacks while still keeping his attention on her. However, her luck quickly ran out as the man managed to fit his beefy arm through the bars and grab her by the throat.

_Two..._

Hiccup and Astrid watched worriedly as Ruffnut's struggles became weaker and Lydia kept trying to find the right key for the lock, down to her last few keys. The man finally flung Ruffnut to the ground and started to turn back towards the other teens. Time seemed to stop

_One...CLICK._

_"Gotcha!"_

Just as the man turned back around, Lydia was free, and she flung the gate wide before lunging towards him, silent like Nori but using tactics Dwalin had taught her. Just as the idiot Outcast turned back around, the Ereborian slammed into him. Since he was caught off guard, her momentum managed to knock him back, and she heard a clang as his helmeted head bounced off the metal bars. She didn't stick around to see what happened next.

Her memory served her well as she weaved through the underground halls, and hearing no raised alarms, she could only assume the Viking teens had managed to keep the bumbling buffoon distracted. She was not about to waste this new advantage handed to her.

At the last corner, she paused and cautiously peered around into the next room. Grinning because the coast was clear, she sprinted to the only cage holding a Scauldron, and the dragon looked at her curiously as she began fumbling with the many keys again.

"Hey...hey boy, you remember me, right? Whaddya say we get out of here, huh?" Lydia murmured, smiling to herself as the fourth key she tried turned out to be the right one and the gate to the dragon's cage swung open. The Scauldron lumbered out, spreading its massive wings as it did so and giving her a reptilian smile before nudging her with its head. "Yeah glad to see you too, but let's get out of here."

Gently, she grabbed purchase on the Scauldron's scales and tugged it along with her, heading above ground. However, it seemed their luck had run out. Shouting started echoing through the caverns and Lydia shrieked as several fully armed Outcasts came into view, blocking the only exit she knew of. She was at a distinct disadvantage now. Suddenly, the Scauldron straightened up and hovered protectively over the Princess as it sprayed super-heated water at the Outcasts, causing them to scatter.

Next thing she knew, the dragon had gently picked her up by her shirt and tossed her onto its back, where she slid down its neck to be seated at the base. It spread its large wings and barreled its way out into the weak sunshine, spread its massive wings as wide as it could, and took to the air. With a few mighty strokes, they were lifted high into the air and out of Alvin's range.

Lydia smiled as she turned the Scauldron Northward and headed for Berk.

* * *

And, chapter 3! It was the longest chapter so far, with some action there! What did you all think?

REVIEW PLEASE!


	4. Chapter 4

Hey guys! Here's chapter four for yah! So I thought I'd have a chapter where you see how the Ereborians are doing! How do you all feel about Dori? I hope you like him because it's more from his perspective with a little Frodo! Lemme know how I did with them!

Rated-T

**Warnings**

Abuse/torture

Some OOC-ness maybe

I might not get all of their talking entirely accurate so please bear with me

**Things you need to know**

_Lydia speaking in Khuzdul_

Disclaimer-I don't own the Hobbit or How To Train Your Dragon.

* * *

Here We Stand United

Chapter 4

Dori sighed worriedly as more yelling reached his ears. Dwalin, Balin, Thorin, and Bilba were still arguing about what to do. Dwalin was convinced they should hold a funeral, having given up all hope that the Princess was still alive, while Bilba raged at him for daring to suggest such a thing. Thorin was probably developing a headache with his wife's screeching, which would surely make him irritable, and Balin was once again being the voice of reason, saying they should carefully comb their way through all the towns on the surrounding islands, saying Lydia was intelligent enough to wait for them somewhere where she could easily be found.

Another roar rang through the ship, the word Khuzdul in origin, and all fell blessedly silent. Apparently, Thorin had had more than enough of the bickering and decided to put a quick end to it.

Dori gave a wry, humorless chuckle as he headed above deck to check on Ori, an irrational fear overrunning his mind for his little brother's safety. He found his little brother dressed in his cloak, standing on deck and studying a nearby island, one that was all bleak, unforgiving rock with no signs of life, which was why Thorin thought it was safe to dock off shore, where no one would bother them while they debated their next move. Ori was fascinated by it for some reason, drawing pictures of it and even having nightmares.

"Ori, whatever is the matter?" Dori asked softly, placing a hand on his youngest brother's shoulder. Ori jumped, having been so lost in thought he didn't even notice Dori's presence.

"Dori...I...nothing is wrong, per se. I'm worried about Lydia, but at the same time I feel I should be more concerned for our lives rather than hers...there's something very wrong with that island, Dori," Ori said, still not looking at his brother, and therefore did not see the look on his face. Dori opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off as Ori suddenly turned around and said insistently, "I want to go investigate, Dori!"

"Absolutely not!" Dori replied immediately, and Ori's face fell, before a determined look crossed his countenance, and Dori knew he would argue, if not for another voice cutting smoothly into their conversation.

"Dor's right, Ori. It's too dangerous for you to head on out there. I'll check it out, and I'm sure Mother Hen over there will be coming along as well." Dori and Ori turned as their thief of a brother stepped out of the shadows. Most people would be surprised at how one moment there seemed to be no one there, and the next there was a man with an elaborate, hard-to-forget hairstyle walking towards them and intruding on what might have been a private conversation. However, growing up with Nori, one came to expect him to be just around any corner, lurking there and spying on anyone he thought was worth his time at the moment. Even the other Ereborians, after seven years at sea with him, were no longer surprised by him, which irked Nori to no end.

Dori's mouth opened and closed in shock at his brother's suggestion, while Ori looked like a kicked puppy. "Dori...you'll go with Nori, right? I'd feel a lot better if you both went together..." Dori glanced at both of his brothers, and knew it was impossible to say "no." So, with a deep long-suffering sigh, Dori nodded in agreement, the three brothers entirely unaware of the curly-haired prince watching from a dark corner.

*THIS IS A PAGE BREAK*

Nori sighed for what felt like the hundredth time, and Dori was about ready to box his little brother's ears for it. Honestly, if he was such a hindrance, why in Mahal's name had he volunteered Dori for this? Finally, _finally, _the thief spoke up. "Dori..." Dori looked expectantly at his younger brother, even as he kept rowing the boat. Nori met his pale gaze, but then looked away, much to Dori's annoyance. "Never mind."

Damn it!

"Nori, for Mahal's sake, just spit it out!" Dori snapped, his patience finally snapped. He was very patient with Ori, still seeing him as the small child he had raised, but Nori was another story. The thief got under his skin at the best of times and right now he was in a terrible mood. It had started to drizzle, and a fog had fallen over the water. While this hid their small boat, it made it harder for them to see. Now that he thought about it, Ori was right. There was something terribly wrong with this place. The land was too bleak, too quiet, the water too still, as though the island was trying too hard to look uninhabited, and he wanted nothing more than for Nori to realize this as well so they could turn back, maybe convince Thorin it was in their best interest to move along...

"Dori, do you hate me?" Nori suddenly blurted, jolting Dori rather violently from his brooding thoughts as he stared in shock at his equally shocked younger brother. Nori looked as though he had not meant to say that and that he wanted to yank the words right back as soon as he said them.

"No...what brought along such a ridiculous notion?"

Nori hesitated, and then he glanced away and it was clear he had no intention of saying anything on the subject. Dori glared darkly at his brother, as though the force of his gaze alone could either bore a hole in his head or make his stubborn brother speak his mind for once.

It was another few minutes before their little boat touched the shore of the rocky, unforgiving land, and the two elder Ri brothers splashed ashore. "Stick close to me and stay quiet." Nori seemed to transform. Gone was the caring brother who doted on Ori and stole tea and other nice things for Dori, in his place was the King of Thieves, Lord of the Underworld. Dori didn't like it, but it did come in handy.

Which was why he didn't protest when Nori led the way over the barren landscape. The mists swirled around them and Dori found it difficult to navigate, so he stuck to Nori like glue. He had no intention of getting lost any time soon. Nori seemed to know exactly where he was going despite the limited visibility, so when he stopped, Dori stopped as well, hovering right over his brother, frowning deeply.

"What is it?"

"Dori, shut up and head back to the boat! I'll meet you there. This island is definitely inhabited," Nori hissed. Without waiting for his older brother to reply, he disappeared into the mist, leaving Dori standing there fuming and having to navigate back to the boat himself.

*THIS IS A PAGE BREAK*

He watched quietly as Ori watched the horizon, tense and silent. The young scribe was obviously worried about his brothers. Frodo knew that feeling of worry. For a week and a half, he'd been worrying in the very same way, about his little sister. He knew she could take care of herself and was an excellent warrior, but older siblings had **_rights_ ** to worry. It came with the territory. So, understanding his friend's pain a little, he walked over to stand beside him. Ori didn't even notice, so Frodo cleared his throat to gain the younger's attention.

Ori jumped, but relaxed when he saw it was only Frodo. "Yes, Frodo?" Ori asked hesitantly. He was unsure if the Prince knew where his brothers had gone or if he would be upset with him letting them go.

"There's no need to worry about Dori and Nori. Dori's the strongest among us and there's not a cell in the world that could hold Nori. Besides, the island is likely uninhabited. I doubt even small animals could live there," Frodo said gently. Ori risked a glance at his friend, and was relieved to see the look of understanding and kindness in his ice-like eyes. Frodo was nothing like Thorin. He smiled a lot and he was always relatively happy, if not a little shy and brooding, but he had a good heart and Bilba's gentle nature.

Ori smiled hesitantly and nodded, hoping Frodo bought it, but he knew there was no such luck when Frodo frowned at him, but he left it alone, walking off to help when his cousins raced past, trying (and failing) to reign Gimli in, who was running around with Kili's bow and screaming about something. Even though he was nearly of age, he still acted like a little kid, especially when his maniac "babysitters" gave him sweets. That was what it looked like Kili and Fili had done, the fools. Ori laughed quietly despite himself, but turned back around when he heard the sound of one of the lifeboats being cranked back up. Nori hopped on deck, shrouded in darkness.

"Nori, what's out there? Where's Dori?" Ori asked worriedly, studying his brother. Nori's face was haggard, his expression defeated and the confidence gone from his eyes.

"Bad news little brother. That island is definitely not safe. Now, I need to talk to Thorin about a rescue mission."

* * *

Voila! Chapter 4! I have big, big plans for this story. Let me know what you thought!

Oh, and the Ereborian's ages right now in the story are:

Thorin: 38

Bilba: 36

Balin: 40

Dwalin: 34

Bifur: 35

Bofur: 33

Bombur: 30

Oin: 43

Gloin: 34

Dori: 36

Nori: 29

Ori: 19

Fili: 23

Kili: 20

Frodo: 18

Lydia: 16

Gimli: 11

If you're wondering how old everyone was when Erebor fell, just subtract eleven from all their ages. Thanks for reading!

REVIEW PLEASE!


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys! So in honor of Halloween, I've decided to write a semi-scary chapter with Lydia and Erebor's fall. Oh, btw, after much thought and many, many long hours of deep contemplation, I have decided, that in this story, Bofur will also be female. (good thing our beloved miner and toymaker didn't make an appearance before this or this note here would have thrown several of you through a loop.) Enjoy!

Rated-T

**Warnings**

Abuse/torture

Some OOC-ness maybe

I might not get all of their talking entirely accurate so please bear with me

**Things you need to know**

_Lydia speaking in Khuzdul_

Disclaimer-I don't own the Hobbit or How To Train Your Dragon.

* * *

Here We Stand United

Chapter 5

It was warm, opressingly hot. She coughed as she blearily opened her eyes, dragged forcefully from her dreams of her Mam's home. A wave of heat simmered in her room, distorting the images around her like some fake image. For an instant, she was afraid she was trapped in a nightmare, because all of her toys, beautifully carved by her 'Adad's friends, looked as though they were melting, and the grins on her friendly dolls suddenly looked evil. Then, she realized she was very much awake because she could hear screaming and...roaring...in the distance.

Gasping, choking for air, she scrambled out of her big, fluffy bed, stumbling towards the door even though she knew she wasn't supposed to be up and about. She was very scared, but also curious about what was going on, and it was that curiosity that prompted the sickly five-year old to rise from her bed and out the door. The halls were abandoned, and this confused her young mind. Servants were always near if she or her brother would need anything. Wait. Frodo!

She stumbled down the hidden short-cut to her brother's room and threw open the ornate door, crying in distress when she saw that her brother was gone, and the noises were growing louder. Greatly distressed now, she started to run, heading for her 'adad's office in search of him, because she needed her 'adad right now! 'Adad was safe and she most definitely didn't feel safe now.

However, she over-estimated the maze-like quality of her home because she quickly became lost, heading somehow deeper into her mountain than she'd ever been before, and people were starting to appear, running around frantically, taking no notice of her as she cried out for attention. No luck or attention came, and she was knocked off her feet, her small knees scraping along the rock ground. Tears gathered in her eyes, and she began to cry, snot running from her nose as she hiccupped and wailed and coughed.

Suddenly she was scooped off her feet and cradled close to someone's chest. She buried her face in said chest and listened to the steady heartbeat, slowly calming down with the constant, unhurried rhythm, all the running and screaming fading away before she finally looked up, expecting to see her Mam. Instead, she saw a young, dark-haired woman who looked like maybe she was a little younger than Mister Dwalin. She had a gentle smile on her face, despite the fact that she was covered in grime, and a funny hat perched atop her dark locks. She was instantly fascinated by that hat, and the woman's braids. They swooped up! That wasn't supposed to happen...

_"Where's your 'Amad little one?" _the elder female cooed, bouncing the five-year-old on her hip like she might for a small babe, and tears gathered in her eyes once again.

_"Don't know! Can't find Mam or 'Adad or Frodo or Fili or Kili or Aunt Dis or Uncle Frerin or Mister Dwalin!" _she screamed loudly, startling the woman holding her. The girl was very loud and had a nice set of lungs on her despite her small stature and sickly state. Then she stiffened. Those were names associated with the royals. That meant she was holding the Princess of Erebor in her arms... was this really the little girl she'd been ordered to make so many toys for?

_"Well. Let's go find them, little one. Tell me your name," _the woman said as she walked, holding the little one closely as she slowly calmed herself. She tried not to rush the princess, or let on that there was anything going on around them. She only hoped they could make it to the exit without too much trouble.

_"Lydia, daughter of Thorin, Son of Thrain, Son or Thror of the line of Durin, Princess Under the Mountain, at your service," _the little girl said proudly. It had taken her forever to get it right after Balin had taught it to her, and her Mam had insisted that the "at your service" line be added in, not that Lydia minded. She liked helping people, and service meant help, right?

_"Bofur, at yours," _the woman replied, smiling calmly at the polite girl as she hurried to her own home, thankfully near the exit. It had been the only place they could afford after their cousin Bifur had taken that axe to the head in a training accident with the guards. She could only hope her brother and Bifur were both alive and well, and had managed to escape with at least minimal harm to their persons.

However, the smooth sailing they'd had for a good ten minutes was quickly lost to them, as the ground began to rumble again, like giant footsteps coming towards them. It confused and scared Lydia, causing her to cry out, but Bofur quickly hushed her as they ducked down into a small, side passage. Bofur clutched the child close to her as the steps passed by, the tunnels becoming hotter as the beast breathed its fire upon any unfortunate guards. The footsteps came to a halt suddenly, and Bofur chanced looking up, freezing as she stared into a large amber eye. The beast stared at her for a moment, and smoke curled from its nostrils, before it moved on. Bofur breathed a sigh of relief and waited until she was sure the dragon was gone before she ran back the way it had come from, still cradling Lydia close, even as the child sniffled and sneezed.

Lydia just hoped she didn't give nice Miss Bofur her cold.

Finally, her curiosity once again won over her instincts, and Lydia glanced up from Miss Bofur's shoulder, peering around, but didn't see much except black walls and smell this funny icky scent and people lying on the ground sleeping. Then, she started to make connections. The black stuff on the walls was hot marks, and the people on the ground...weren't sleeping. They had red life on them, the red life that came from her cuts whenever she fell, except they weren't getting patched up.

Then she screamed, because Mahal please no, that was... _"Uncle Frerin!"_

"NO!" Lydia screamed as she jolted upright, her eyes still seeing her uncle's scorched and blackened skeleton. Frerin had been so much fun, and her favorite to be around. He would always play with her, give her toys or make up new games, but the best was always the wooden swords and the lessons that came with them. He was slight, like her, due to being so sickly as a child, but he'd proved time and again that you didn't need to be a muscular warrior like her 'adad or Dwalin. It was her Uncle Frerin who'd first shown her what it meant to be a Durin. The right to be a warrior, if she so chose. Unlike most other females of Erebor, she could _choose. _It was soon after that her Mam had somehow managed to get that particular tradition overturned, and then her freedom to choose wasn't so special because all other females could now choose, but it was the thought that counted.

She was brought out of her depressing musings as the Scauldron's neck curled around her, prodding at her with his snout, and she forced a week smile to her face. "I'm fine. Come on...you know, you need a name, don't you? How about..." she paused, thinking, and then genuinely smiled, "Frerin. Yes, you're Frerin. Come on, we've still got some Vikings to save and then Ereborians to find!"

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All she'd seen was red fire, just like when Erebor fell, and it brought back bad memories. She screamed, jerking away from where the flames had come from, and discovered she'd moved too far as she tipped off Frerin and fell towards the water below. Ah, and she was not a strong swimmer, either.

Claws sank into her back and she hissed at the burning pain, and then she was jolted from her speedy fall to a gentle descent. However, she was not reassured, and she shrieked for her dragon, "_Frerin!" _The Scauldron snarled and flew over, growling at the dragon with its claws sunk into her back. She was dropped to the ground of an island, and Frerin landed nearby, still snarling. A voice boomed in Norse,

"Call off your dragon!"

With a snarl of rage, Lydia snapped, _"Stop!" _and Frerin settled slightly, but did not subside all the way. He was still aggressive towards the red-headed, red-bearded Viking that landed, on the back of a Thunderdrum.

"Who are you, and where did you learn to ride a dragon?" the intimidating man demanded, and if she was any other girl, she would have shrunk in on herself, but she lived with Dwalin, her 'adad, and _**Bombur.**_It couldn't get any tougher or more intimidating than that. So she straightened to look the man in the eye, but something there...it was the same spark in Hiccup's eyes, so this must be Stoic the Vast.

She gave a swift bow and replied in short, choppy Norse, "Lydia, daughter of Thorin, the Son of Thrain, who was the Son of Thror, of the line Durin, Princess Under the Mountain, at your service. I hail from Erebor, in Middle Earth, before it fell to the Red Fire Drake Smaug. You are Stoic the Vast, yes? I met your son, Hiccup, when I was imprisoned by a group who called themselves the Outcasts. Your son sent me to tell you what I knew, and I wish to offer my skills as a warrior to help you fight the madman Alvin the Treacherous."

* * *

*whew* that was some great plot progression. There is also BACKGROUND for this version of the characters! Yes, since this is AU, that is MY theory on how Bifur got that axe imbedded in his forehead.

I hope you liked my creepy-ish chapter! Happy Halloween everybody!

Oh, and leave a review!


	6. Chapter 6

Action, fighting, and Dori (+Ereborians galore)! Enjoy!

Rated-T

**Warnings**

Abuse/torture

Some OOC-ness maybe

I might not get all of their talking entirely accurate so please bear with me

**Things you need to know**

_"Lydia/other Ereborians speaking in Khuzdul"_

Disclaimer-I don't own the Hobbit or How To Train Your Dragon.

* * *

Here We Stand United

Chapter 6

The darkness of the night was all-encompassing, and she saw very little as she attempted to peer through the mists over the water. They could have easily sailed right past their own boats if not for single lights on each ship and silent signals each dragon seemed to communicate to each other that only the young dragon rider, Fishlegs, could understand.

Lydia's grip tightened on the hilt of the axe she'd borrowed, and Frerin nudged her with his snout. Absentmindedly, she patted him, and he withdrew with a huff since she had not given him the proper attention. It was a miracle he even fit on the boat, because of how heavy his body was he could not soar the way was needed for the stealth attack, and Lydia did not feel like holding her breath underwater until she passed out.

In all honesty, it had been a nightmare to convince Stoic the Vast that she was trustworthy, and strong enough to go on this mission. But she was a Durin and the people of her line did not sit by idly when there was a fight to be fought for the greater good. So she strengthened her resolve. If she wanted to return to her family, this was her first stepping stone, because she would not leave until she had helped the people who helped her. After Hiccup and the others were free, her and Frerin were off in search of the other Ereborians, and then she'd be having a serious talk with her 'adad. In Lydia's...**_humble_**...opinion, it was high time they returned to Middle Earth and reclaimed the Lonely Mountain.

With her resolve firm and her face grim, after the Berk boats touched the shores of Outcast Island, she was the first to leap out, not even making a single sound as she landed in the shallow water. With a mighty down stroke, Frerin lifted himself into the air enough to soar over the helm of the boat to land on the ground near her. Lydia said nothing as she slid onto the dragon's back and it started to waddle inland stealthily like a snake, Fishlegs and his dragon Meatlug walking behind. Lydia knew it was her job to lead Fishlegs right to the cells so they could break the other dragon riders free while the Vikings dealt with Alvin and his Outcasts. The two dragons were just there as extra protection should they encounter any guards.

They crouched in the shadows, until they heard the distinct sound of fighting as battle calls rang into the night, and Lydia felt a twinge of longing for her own family, her fellow Ereborian warriors. However, she shook her melancholy off as she slipped off Frerin's back and hissed in Khuzdul, _"Stay here. Guard silently." _The Scauldron gave her a reproachful look, as though he thought she was foolish for telling him something so obvious, but she just shrugged and slipped into the tunnels that led to the Outcast dungeons, with Fishlegs close behind after giving his own dragon similar instructions.

*THIS IS A PAGE BREAK*

"Thorin! There are other boats here! It sounds like they're fighting the island's inhabitants!" Nori reported as he slipped back aboard the ship, his cloak wrapped around him to practically hide him from even their sights. Ori was fretting in a rather worried fashion that was eerily similar to Dori, obviously terrified he was going to lose his other brother as well, and a murmur spread through his subjects. However, the King in Exile knew they could use this to their advantage.

"Whatever the reason they're fighting, it can work in our favor. Dwalin, Bifur, Bofur, and Nori, I want you all to go free Dori. The rest of us will deal with the enemy." The four nodded in agreement, and then Bilba spoke up rather quietly,

"And please, keep an eye out for Lydia." Thorin nodded in somber agreement with his wife. Dwalin grimaced at the pained expression on her face, Bifur gave a respectful nod to show he'd understood what she said, Nori said nothing and simply turned away, retreating back into the night after waving Ori off, and the other two followed, Bofur following last and offering Bilba a reassuring smile, then she shouldered her mattock and followed her cousin, the thief, and the warrior.

Nori was exceptionally sneaky, being a thief, and he had no trouble sneaking his three companions in. Bofur didn't even marvel at said skill anymore. Nori thought rather highly of himself, as evidence by his star-like hair and constant preening, but he was a damn good thief, she'd give him that. The dark passage he led them down was narrow to begin with, and wove deeply underground, widening just enough for them to slip through it. When they exited the passage and stepped into a dimly lit cavern, Bofur honestly never would have seen the crevice they'd just come out of as an actual path if Nori hadn't of led them through it.

_"Wait," _Bofur hissed, grabbing at Nori and Dwalin's shoulders as they tried to continue further in. The paused and looked at her, Dwalin puzzled and Nori annoyed. Best friend or not, he didn't appreciate when anyone told him how to sneak about. _"There's a guard, you idiots." _Then she turned to Bifur and in Iglishmêk told him to take down the guard, **quietly.**

Bifur blinked once, twice, and then nodded in comprehension, edging around them, and then in a move he'd perfected in his youth, he'd yanked out one of his small throwing axes and chucked it as hard as he could, hitting the burly guard smack in the forehead and knocking him off his feet.

Bofur let out a slight chuckle as she moved out of the shadows and stepped over the large guard. The irony of this man's head wound was not lost on her, but the poor fellow had never seen it coming. If she had to guess, he was put on guard at this point because he was incompetent but strong. This worked to their advantage. If he had been competent, he would have heard the axe whistle through the air and have had the sense to dodge. The fool was better off dead as he was now. Bifur, Dwalin, and Nori followed her lead, not a care in the world as they stepped over the corpse. Nori was still scowling and Dwalin was grim-faced.

_"I'll head around the other way. You lot come from the front. If there are other guards than the ones we saw before, they would be the smart ones, and you all will need to cause a distraction," _Nori commanded, and Bofur didn't argue because Nori needed this sense of purpose. She knew her friend well enough to know he was still upset he'd lost his brother, and she was more than happy to let him take the lead. However, that didn't mean she wouldn't add her own ideas to the plan without telling Nori of them. It was always funny to see him get irritated, and it didn't happen often enough, unless of course you put him and Dori in a room together for more than fifteen minutes.

The thief disappeared around another side tunnel that no one had noticed before then, and Bofur smirked at her friend's predictability before she led the way further underground. It broke her heart to travel underground though, and knowing it was not Erebor's dark tunnels she wandered. Bofur paused when she heard voices, and asked in Iglishmêk if the other two heard it. Dwalin and Bifur confirmed that they did, and then Bifur drew one of his small axes, intent on chucking them into the fray, and that was all good and well, until Bofur heard the princess's voice. Frantically she sighed to Bifur to put the axe down as she peered around the final corner.

_"Mahal damn it all!" _she swore as she quickly pulled herself back, leaning against the wall. There were seven men in the room, all of them larger than her, Bifur, and Nori, and, what really made her blood boil, was that there were a bunch of kids in cages! While she did not recognize the six teens in the one cage, she recognized Dori and Lydia in a second cage...and Dori didn't look so good. She was no field medic, but it sure looked like he might've been poisoned. One said something in Norse and the others burst into laughter, jeering at Dori and Lydia. Norse was not her best but...

She thought about it. Whoever the leader was seemed to favor brawn over brains, and men with simple brains...

Oh, Nori was going to be pissed with her since this was NOT part of his plan.

Without consulting Dwalin, she threw off one of her coats and handed it to Bifur, before placing a seductive smile on her face and sauntering down the hall, ignoring Dwalin's angry hiss and Bifur's puzzled grunt.

She leaned on her mattock and called out in Norse, "Oh boys~. I seem to be quite lost. Care to point a girl in the right direction?" All of their eyes went wide, and they froze for a moment, unable to comprehend what was right in front of them, and Bofur just kept smiling. She was pretty, and she had to act like she believed it while they were trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Finally one of them stepped toward her, and a sick grin had spread across his face. As a couple of his friends followed with sickening intent in their steps, Bofur inwardly flinched. Perhaps she had overestimated their stupidity, but she would not back down. The leader only had to take four more steps...Three...Two...One. As soon as he was in range, with surprising grace and speed, she swung her mattock up into his skull, knocking him over flat on his back.

His two friends blinked in shock and paused in their approach. However, as the other guards moved forward, one passed too close to Lydia, and the princess of Erebor grabbed fistfuls of his hair and smashed his head repeatedly into the bars of her cell until his blood had spilled over the floor and he collapsed as nothing more than a corpse.

Dwalin and Bifur burst forth from their hiding place in the hall behind Bofur, roaring with rage and slamming into the remaining guards with all the force of a hurricane. With a smirk, Bofur leapt into the battle as well, swinging her mattock and humming a merry tune all the while. The men were not very experienced, which was a shame because they were slaughtered. The lead guard though, was bigger and stronger than the others, and knocked her off her feet when he snuck up behind her.

She heard Dwalin roar as she glanced up at the man towering over her. It was like some kind of twisted accompaniment to what she was certain was her death as he sneered down at her. However, he turned when he felt a tap on his shoulder. Nori was right behind him, and as soon as they were face to face, the thief's fist connected with his face, and the man fell, clutching his nose which was surely broken now. Nori shook out his hand as he glared down at the man writhing in pain as he snarled, "That was for my brother." Then he stepped away and over to the cage holding Lydia and Dori.

Nori gave Lydia a teasing bow before he reached up to his hair and withdrew one of his lock-picks. Moments later the door to the cage sprung open and Lydia rushed out, snatching the lock-pick from Nori and going to the other cage while the middle brother of Ri retrieved his older brother, who was still out cold.

"We gotta get Dori to Oin. He mighta been poisoned," Bofur said as she stood, adjusting her hat on her head.

"We got bigger problems, Bofur. Before they through me in a cage I saw their leader snatch a paper from Dori. I hope to Mahal I'm wrong, but I'm probably not," Lydia said as she held the cage door open while Bifur and Dwalin threw the guards in.

Bofur felt faint as the implications of what the leader of these ruffians could have taken finally sunk in, and she asked quietly, "You think...?"

"Highly likely."

"Are you guys talking about the map that Alvin took from him? He really wanted it. What makes it so important that your friend there would rather die that give it up?" the skinny red-head asked, nodding at Dori, still out cold in his brother's arms and breathing shallowly, his weakness speaking volumes of his condition.

All the Ereborians froze at that. There was only one map that any of them would ever carry on their persons. It was a hope and a promise and a dream all at once. Should they all ever get separated, they would return to the map's destination. It was a map that would lead them across countless seas, past the rolling hills of the Shire, over the Misty Mountains, and through the Greenwood. It was a map that would lead them home...to Erebor. As one, they all roared in their secret language,

_"Mahal damn it all!"_

* * *

I just had to end this chapter like that. It amused me.

Anyway what did you think of the longest chapter?

Review please!


	7. Chapter 7

Hello everybody! Here's chapter seven, so soon after chapter six went up...I have no social life.

Rated-T

**Warnings**

Abuse/torture

Some OOC-ness maybe

I might not get all of their talking entirely accurate so please bear with me

**Things you need to know**

_"Lydia/other Ereborians speaking in Khuzdul"_

Disclaimer-I don't own the Hobbit or How To Train Your Dragon.

* * *

Here We Stand United

Chapter 7

Thorin Oakenshield, King in Exile, plowed through the masses. Blinded by battle fury, he slashed at anyone who got in his way. He would not let any of them see Nori and his team. He would not risk this rescue mission. They looked after their own, and Dori should never had been captured in the first place. Nori was going to be in a world of trouble when this was over. He'd specifically ordered that no one leave the ship until they had decided on a plan.

Nearby, his small wife fought valiantly, roaring her own battle cry and nimbly darting around her enemies before darting in to deal fatal blows. Her honey colored curls were tangled and matted with slowly drying blood and the expression on her face was one of fierce determination. Mahal, he loved her. She was loyal and headstrong, clever and quick, and caring. He'd never met anyone like her before, which was why as he had been passing through her home in the Shire, he was immediately fascinated, so he ended up staying for another few months, and then finally decided he would not return to Erebor without her. It took time, but he wore her down until she agreed to come to Erebor with him and marry him.

However, she had not been prepared in the slightest when Frerin had informed her quite bluntly that she was going to be queen whenever their father, Thrain, stepped down. Needless to say she had been furious he hadn't mentioned to her that he was a prince. In his defense, he simply hadn't wanted that fact to influence her choice. They needn't have worried, in the end. Their love was strong, Bilba had made a great queen, and they'd had two children which was cause for the whole kingdom to celebrate. If only Smaug the Terrible had not come to Erebor...

"Thorin! Pay attention to the fight!" Balin snapped as he sliced an arm off a man who'd been about to attack Thorin. The King in Exile shook off his thoughts and leapt back into the fray, even as he caught sight of Nori, Dwalin, Bifur, and Bofur, with Nori carrying Dori and making a bee-line for the ship, where he knew Oin and Ori waited. Even as he watched, a bunch of teens filed out after them. Six he didn't recognize, but the seventh was...

_"Lydia!" _Frodo's cry carried over the turmoil, and then the dark-haired prince was fighting his way to his sister's side, normally so reserved, even when he fought, but now a light of insane relief glimmered in his eyes and he savagely cut down anyone who got in his way.

Fili and Kili took up Frodo's cry of joy, and soon the news had spread to every Ereborian scattered about the battlefield, each of them pausing to crane their necks and get a glimpse of the princess. Thorin glanced around for Bilba, and became frantic when she wasn't right where he last saw her. He was terribly afraid she was going to do something stupid just to get to their daughter. Whenever her emotions got the better of her during fights, her movements would get too erratic and she would start trembling, leaving her vulnerable. He breathed a sigh of relief when he finally caught side of her, Bofur covering her as she fought her way to Lydia. Thorin knew he could count on the cheery toy maker to watch out for Bilba.

_"Ereborians! Fall back!" _Thorin finally roared, his voice easily carrying over the battlefield to reach everyone, causing them to pause in either confusion or disappointment. It wasn't often their King called for a retreat. However, he sensed the tide was about to turn against them, and he would not risk his people while Dori was down for the count, Lydia seemed exhausted, and Bilba would soon dissolve into an emotional wreck.

The allies whom they didn't even know were left floundering as the Ereborians pulled back, heading for their ship before they would set out to sea. However, a cry of outrage, or maybe pain, caused the younger Ereborians to pause, and with a battle cry, Lydia was charging at a man who held a small red-headed boy by the neck. Frodo, Fili, and Kili took up the battle roar and charged after her while Thorin watched on in horror and Bilba screamed, only just being stopped from charging after them because Thorin had managed to drag her back. Thorin was sure he was about to see his two children and sister-sons torn limb from limb, but a screaming Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur charged forward to save the royal heirs.

In a matter of moments, Lydia and Fili, the fastest two, had reached the giant of a man and were on him, hacking at his arms brutally, Lydia with an axe and Fili with his sword, until the smaller boy was released, snatched up by the Ereborian teens, and then carted off the battlefield, back towards the ship, while Bifur, Bofur, and Bombur covered their escape. Hands reached down and hauled them all aboard, even Bombur, with difficulty, and even as their ship was swarmed, they fought back while Nori and Dwalin hoisted the anchor and Gloin steered them out to sea.

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"What were you thinking?!"

"I couldn't leave him to die!"

"Now we hafta take him home..."

_"Those look like some nasty marks on his neck..." _Okay, that harsh sentence, whatever it was, did not sound good.

"He's perfectly fine. Ah don't understand why he's not awake..."

"I'm hungry. Uncle Oin, tell Bombur to make dinner!"

"I'm fine; stop worrying."

"I think the lad is waking up!" A hush fell over the room he was in as his eyes slowly pried open and he stared up at all the faces hovering over him. Many of them were bearded, but there were a few clean-shaven, and one that was familiar to him.

"How do you feel, Hiccup?" Lydia asked quietly as she helped him sit up, and he held his head as he took in the room full of strangers. Many of them glared at him, some wore guarded looks, and there were even a few friendly faces. A boy with bright red hair, even brighter than his own, with the very wisps of a beard beginning on his chin, bounded forward to get in his space.

"Who are you? I'm Gimli! You're my friend now, got it?" Gimli said, shoving his finger in Hiccup's face, and he went cross-eyed trying to look at it.

"Gimli, why don't you and I go whip up some dinner for everyone? Let the big people talk," a large man with orangish hair and beard said as he stepped forward. He was round and large, and his face was red, as though he was eternally out of breath.

Gimli's face lit up and he chirped, "Okay Bombur!" then he skipped out ahead of the waddling man. Then Lydia was back in his sight and he'd never been so grateful to see anyone in his life.

"Hiccup, do you remember what happened?" she asked carefully. When he shook his head, she continued, "Alvin was strangling you. My cousins and brother, Fili, Kili, and Frodo, helped me free you. We couldn't kill him, but we all got away with our lives, which was the goal. We're going to take you back to Berk now, okay?" Hiccup nodded mutely, and then glanced around the room fully as he felt a little better and could turn his head without feeling like he would throw up. His eyes fell on the form of the other man who'd been in the cage across the hall from him.

Lydia followed his gaze and said quietly, "That's Dori. He was poisoned, but he's getting better. Nori and Ori are taking care of him, now that Oin has given him an antidote. You feel up to a little food? I promise you'll love it, meat or veggies. Bombur and Bofur are great cooks."

Finally, Hiccup managed to speak. His words came out as a hoarse whisper, but he was proud of himself for managing to speak nonetheless, "Food sounds great. Can I have some water first, though?" Lydia smiled and nodded, before standing swiftly and sweeping out of the room, everyone else standing there parting like a wave to let her pass them. They clearly held great respect for her.

Then the intimidating man with dark hair just like Lydia's, and her distinct features, was hovering over him, and Hiccup glanced up at him. He hesitated, and then said in rough Norse, "I would like to thank you...for helping my daughter. When we return you to your home, I would also like to thank your King. If he had not brought my daughter to that battle on that cursed island, we never would have gotten Lydia back."

Hiccup replied, "I think I should be the one thanking your daughter, not the other way around. And Berk doesn't have a King; we have a chief, who just so happens to be my dad. He'll probably want to thank Lydia..."

The man gave a thoughtful hum and pulled back, his pale eyes, also strikingly similar to Lydia's, were lost in thought, and the woman next to him with honey hair pulled him out of the room. The towering mountain with the large, tangled beard, bald hair, and strange tattoos followed them like a shadow...or a bodyguard. Slowly others filtered out after them, until only a few were left. One was the unconscious Dori, another was a man with hair that reminded him of a star who was dutifully tending to Dori, there was a much younger male curled up in a chair fast asleep while clutching Dori's hand, two men older than him who just sat there grinning at Hiccup creepily...yeah, not going there..., an elderly man with graying hair who must have been the healer since he was putting away some tools, and finally another young man curled up in the only other chair reading a book with a strange title in a strange language he couldn't read. The reading person was also strikingly similar to Lydia. They could have been twins, they looked so similar.

Finally he pulled his gaze away from the boy who was reading, carefully avoided looking at the two boys who were still grinning at him, and finally let his gaze rest on the man with the star-shaped hair tending to Dori. His movements were slow, uncertain, but his face was determined. Finally, he spoke, "You know it rude to stare?" Hiccup jumped guiltily, and immediately regretted the action. The elder man turned fierce hazel eyes on the Viking teen, and Hiccup squirmed under the scrutiny. "You're hardly much of a man. Can't begin to imagine why you were in that dungeon in the first place," he said dismissively, and then turned back to Dori.

Ouch. That kind of hurt. "Don't mind Nori. He's just grumpy because he accidentally got his big brother into trouble. He'll be nicer once Dori's feeling better." Hiccup glanced back to the boy sitting in the chair as he gently closed his book and looked at him with that pale gaze. "I'm Frodo, Lydia's brother. The blond is my cousin Fili, and his brother Kili is the dark-haired one. Grumpy is Nori, and the one passed out in the chair is his younger brother, Ori." Hiccup blinked when Frodo fell silent, and then realized he was expecting a response.

"Hiccup." Frodo just nodded and studied him closely, though his gaze was kind where Nori's had not been. It still made him uncomfortable to be stared at like that, though.

"You're very strange," Frodo decided, nodding to himself, before he stood and vacated the room. Fili and Kili shared identical grins before following their cousin, just as Lydia breezed back into the room, carrying a chipped cup full of water and a plate with steaming hot food that smelled delicious and made the Viking's mouth water. She plopped the plate down on the cot next to him before straightening and looking him in the eye, her gaze almost reproachful.

"Hurry up and eat that because Berk is in sight. Oin says you're well enough to walk so if you're not up to it or that food hasn't been finished, you won't like it because Dwalin will drag you off this ship if he has to." Gone was the kind girl who had helped him when he first woke up, and in her place was the girl who was used to giving orders and having them followed. It was the same girl he'd come to learn a little of when they were imprisoned together in the dungeons.

Nori snorted at something Lydia had said, and she turned her harsh glare to him as she barked something at him in their strange language. His face flushed red and he turned back to tending his older brother without so much as a grumble.

Interesting.

*THIS IS A PAGE BREAK*

"Thank you, very much! If there's anything I can ever do, anything at all, to return the favor, don't hesitate to ask, and my people and I will be more than willing to help you," Stoic the Vast said, shaking hands with Thorin. The King in Exile opened his mouth to brush it off as nothing, but Lydia chose that moment to speak up,

_"'Adad. We need to talk."_

Thorin paused and turned to give his daughter a level look. Lydia's face was grim and her eyes serious. That alone told Thorin that she would not let it go and the this discussion could not be put off. So he turned to Stoic and asked if there was somewhere he could have a discussion with Lydia for a moment. Stoic readily agreed, and led them away.

Dwalin watched as the Princess and King disappeared around a bend, and then shared a look with Bofur, who stood beside him. Her eyes were full of worry, and he gave her a grim smile of acceptance, for they both knew what Lydia would be discussing with her 'adad.

The Map Dori had once held, and Erebor.

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I'm on a roll! Gah, the end is so crappy though! I had everything beautiful and typed and it was great, and then it didn't save. I burst into TEARS I was so upset! Which is why you get...this. For some reason, though, these chapters just keep getting longer and longer. Ah, well.

How was it?

Review please!


	8. Chapter 8

Hello all! So, this is my super-powerful emotional chapter! I've been thinking hard about the plot in this story's future, and as of yet, it's looking like a MINIMUM fifteen chapters. Wish me luck with that...

Rated-T

**Warnings**

Abuse/torture

Some OOC-ness maybe

I might not get all of their talking entirely accurate so please bear with me

**Things you need to know**

_"Lydia/other Ereborians speaking in Khuzdul"_

Disclaimer-I don't own the Hobbit or How To Train Your Dragon.

* * *

Here We Stand United

Chapter 8

"The meeting of The Company of Thorin Oakenshield come to order," Balin stated, and then withdrew a gavel and hit it upon the table a few times. Everyone took a seat around the large rectangular table in the Viking's main hall. Thorin sat at one end, Bilba sat at the other. Dwalin sat next to Thorin, Balin on Thorin's other side, Bofur next to Balin, Nori next to Bofur, then Dori who looked far too weak to be up, Ori, Frodo, back to Bilba, then on Bilba's other side was Lydia, Fili and Kili, Gloin, Oin, Bifur, Bombur, then back to Dwalin. No Vikings were present, and Stoic had assured them that no one would intrude, which was why they felt safe enough to use Norse and Westron, for now.

It had been a few days since their arrival on the Isle of Berk, and they had waited a full two days for Dori to wake up. It was another full day before Oin said Dori could get up to attend the meeting. While it had been a good chance for Ori to learn the culture and document it, and the rest of them had brushed up on their Norse, made a few friends, and had been well-fed, Lydia was itching to go. It was with no small amount of relief that she had taken her seat next to her Mam for the meeting.

"We are here to discuss the events of these past two weeks. It has been proven that, while our pirate ship is relatively safe, it is not ideal, especially with young Gimli still aboard. He could be washed out to sea the way Lydia was and never be found. That aside, these Outcasts are now a serious threat. It has already been proved they are ruthless and have the means to hold even the strongest of us," Thorin began with a nod to Dori. Dori did not acknowledge that the King was even talking about him, dutifully staring at his hands as though ashamed he had been captured, even though no one blamed him for a simple mistake (that was quite honestly to be pinned on Nori).

"What's worse, he now has a map. To Erebor. While normally this is no cause for alarm as Smaug would destroy them, there is evidence that they will be able to 'train' Smaug. Or at least, make a sort of deal." This caused a murmur to travel through the group, everyone distressed by this news. With Smaug on their side, they would be able to devastate the land and seize control of everything, not to mention their mountains of gold buried deep within Erebor. Thorin held up his hand and everyone fell silent.

Not for very long, though. "What are yeh suggesting, Thorin?" Oin finally asked, breaking the silence. His brother nodded alongside him, eager to hear the answer. The King in Exile glanced at the faces of all his friends and subjects, their eyes alight with curiosity, and he took a deep breath before replying,

"I suggest we return to reclaim Erebor and kill Smaug before the Outcasts even get there." A roar went up throughout the room, and soon all the Ereborians were shouting at Thorin, a few in disagreement, while others were eagerly agreeing and demanding to know why they hadn't left already. Dwalin bellowed for silence, to no avail. Finally, Lydia stood up.

"Enough! Mahal damn it, one at a time!" she shrieked over their caterwauling. The other Ereborians gradually fell to a dull murmur, and then Lydia continued, "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm tired of living on the ocean, always moving, not belonging anywhere! I want to go home, and no blasted dragon is going to stand in my way!"

_"Lydia's right..." _Bifur managed to say, but then fell silent again, trailing off as his mind wandered. Lydia nodded in appreciation of his support, but she needn't have bothered. Even though he was trying so hard, he just couldn't concentrate very well, especially when he was required to sit down and think of one certain topic for an extended period of time. Bombur took up his cousin's thought.

"What Bif' is getting at is that we need to head home, because it's our home, and we're not gonna let anyone keep it. Besides, what have we got to lose? If these people somehow can work with Smaug all our lives are forfeit...That is, if Smaug is still alive in there," he added at the end after thinking for a moment.

"You can bet that beast is still alive in there. Dragons live for centuries, Bombur, and we all know how they hoard their gold. Surely a dragon would die before it abandoned its gold. So we could sit and wait, but if we did, it is very likely no human would return to Erebor for many centuries. If only we hadn't stocked up so much," Frodo said quietly with a small frown and a shake of his head.

"Assume for a moment we all do go on this venture, madness that it is. The entrance to the mountain is sealed. We cannot get in, nor can our enemy," Balin said. He was always the voice of reason, and many of the Ereborians were nodding in agreement with him because he spoke the truth. Since the entrance was blocked surely they could afford to let these Outcasts go there, since they would be unable to get to the dragon and the gold. That way, they could also let Smaug rot in there before they went in to reclaim it as their own.

"Alvin the Treacherous has a breed of dragon called the Whispering Death! They are known for tunneling underground! He could just have those tunnel the lot of them into the heart of our mountain!" Lydia exploded. Hiccup had told her that Alvin had that particular breed under his thumb, and Fishlegs had given her the information on them. It was very alarming.

"That, and I wouldn't say we are entirely locked out of the mountain," Bofur spoke up for the first time, rather hesitantly at that. Then, she pulled her hat from her head and withdrew a small paper from an inside pocket on the hat. Carefully, she unfolded said paper and spread it out gently on the table in front of herself. Everyone peered to get a look at the map, except Lydia; she had seen it before. It was a close-up map of the Lonely Mountain. The map was dotted with trees and Khuzdul runes in Bofur's shaky hand. At the base of the mountain was a crude drawing of a door, a key, and a big question mark.

"When I brought Lydia out of the mountain eleven years ago, the main entrance had already collapsed. So, despite how suicidal it seemed, I backtracked into the mountain, avoiding Smaug, mind you, and when I came across this one tunnel that sloped up, I figured I might as well follow it. Well, it led to a door at the end which I pushed open, and behold, daylight! I left the door open, and we spent a night in that area. Instead of sleeping, I mapped it all. When I closed the door and we started to leave, I realized I'd dropped one of my knives. I tried to get back in, but that was when I realized that, while you could leave, you couldn't enter without a key...I...don't have the key," Bofur admitted softly, and her hand came up to twirl one of her braids between her fingers as she avoided making eye contact with anyone else.

"I think I do," Thorin said, and then from one of his many side pockets, produced a key as he said, "It's been in the family for generations. Never could figure out what is was for," he admitted wryly as he held the iron key up for everyone to see.

"We can get in," Kili marveled, and he and Fili grinned. Their eyes were shining with the prospect of adventure, revenge, and the return to Erebor.

Balin cleared his throat, "In light of these new revelations, and after weighing all the pros and cons, we will now take a vote. All in favor of returning to Erebor?" Lydia, Bofur, Fili, Kili, Bombur, Bifur, Thorin, Dori, Nori, Ori, and Frodo all raised their hands. Balin nodded as he counted and then gestured for them to put their hands down. "All opposed?" Everyone else- Dwalin, Balin, Oin, Gloin, and surprisingly Bilba- raised their hands. The last five were clearly outvoted, and Balin conceded, "Very well. Erebor it is." There was a smattering of cheers at his statement, mainly from Fili and Kili, and just as everyone began to rise from their seats to leave Thorin, Balin, and Dwalin to discuss strategies, Lydia ordered them back to their seats.

"The Company of Thorin Oakenshield will now discuss the matter of The Vikings." Thorin nodded to his daughter to continue since he apparently approved, so she went on, "The Vikings have already offered to help in whatever way possible. I propose we take some of them with us to Erebor to take care of The Outcasts and Smaug." Dead silence fell, as though no one could believe she had just said that. All that could be heard was Dori's unsteady breathing. None of the others seemed to take a breath or make a move. All were looking at Thorin, as though expecting him to shoot the idea down immediately. He made no move to do so.

"Elaborate," Balin commanded, and many others nodded in agreement.

Lydia took a deep breath and continued, "Hiccup and his friends train dragons. That's the reason Alvin had him and his friends locked up. He wanted to know how it was possible. Now he knows, and he's going after Smaug. They all feel guilty, and want to help. Stoic the Vast already offered a few war troops, as well. We would be fools not to take advantage of the extra strength in our numbers."

"How do we know we can trust them?" Dwalin demanded, voicing the question that was on everyone's minds. If they had so much power over these dragons, couldn't they turn on the Ereborians as soon as they had defeated Alvin and take their gold from them?

"I can vouch for them," Dori spoke up quietly, and all turned to look at him. He met everyone's gaze unflinchingly. "I was locked up with them. They showed nothing but kindness towards me. They tried to help me, tried to prevent them from poisoning me...they are good people, if a little strange."

Bilba seemed to be in agreement, "Can we not give them the benefit of the doubt? I stand with Dori and Lydia on this."

All hell broke loose.

*THIS IS A PAGE BREAK*

"What do you think they're talking about in there?" Astrid wondered aloud. She stood outside the doors to the Great Hall with the other dragon trainers. They were waiting for the Ereborians to finish the meeting so everyone could go inside and eat. All other Vikings had grown bored and wandered off. Only the dragon trainers remained, still optimistic the Ereborians would be done soon, despite the small amount of roaring they had heard before.

"If you really wanna know, follow us," Ruffnut said, and then her and Tuffnut disappeared around the side of the building. With a shrug, the rest followed, and watched in awe as Ruff and Tuff scrambled up the sides of the building, gripping spikes that jutted out that none of them had noticed before. Astrid and Snotlout followed. Fishlegs downright refused, but Hiccup was going to follow, but Fishlegs grabbed his arm and hissed,

"I talked to their little scribe, Ori. He wrote a book about this lot; it's kind of his job. All evidence in that book suggests we can't trust them and therefore this is a very bad idea because if they catch us eavesdropping..."

"Relax, Fishlegs. You're being paranoid," Hiccup replied, and then with great difficulty, he followed the twins, Snotlout, and Astrid. At the roof, there was a hole they all slid into where they could perch on the rafters unnoticed. They got there just as the room exploded into sound. It was impossible to know who said what.

"Great now it's assured-"

"I cannot hear yeh, laddie! Speak up!"

"This is your fault in the first place, you've no opinion-!"

"You can't talk to Dori like that! Only I can! I'll rip your beard out!"

Incoherent babble from Bifur.

"I've got rights-"

"It's insane, you're insane!"

"Say that to my face, piece of shit!"

"Can't we all just be civil?"

"Dwalin, sit down!"

"Fili, Kili, I swear to Mahal, if you don't take that back-"

"I believe sweet little Ori is looking for a fight, don't-?"

"I completely agree, Kili. Let's teach-"

"Now see here! I may be recovering but I'm still-!"

Through it all, Frodo was reading, Bombur was eating and looking confused, his only interjection having been the first sentence, and Thorin looked ready to blow his top. Fili and Kili had leapt on top of the table, ready to fight little Ori, Nori was ready to fly at Oin and Gloin, Bifur was in a heated argument with Dwalin, who was on his feet, screaming at Bifur and Bofur both, Bilba and Balin were both trying to keep the peace, Dori was trying to sit Ori back down, and Lydia was nearly incoherent with rage. Finally, Thorin had had enough.

"Atkât!" With his roar, the Ereborians were immediately back in their seats, their expressions sheepish as Thorin went on the lecture them in that strange, growl-like language from before. It was a long speech, and slowly but surely, the others relaxed from their battle-ready positions and nodded along in agreement.

Finally, the old advisor, Balin, cleared his throat and said in Norse, "All in favor of asking for the Viking's assistance?" Lydia, Bilba, Dori, Nori, Ori, Bofur, and Frodo all raised their hands, though hesitantly on Bofur's part. Balin nodded for them to put their hands down and asked, "All opposed?" Oin, Gloin, Fili, Dwalin, Balin, Bombur, and Kili all raised their hands. Balin frowned and gestured for them to put their hands down and looked to the two who had not voted. Bifur was staring off into the distance and very likely hadn't even heard the question. Thorin's gaze was narrowed, and he looked like he had no intention of voting. Bombur gently nudged his cousin and explained the question to him patiently. Bifur blinked a few times, and then signed something to Balin that had him nodding in defeat. Finally, he turned to Thorin.

"What'll it be, laddie?" Thorin paused, and then stood, looking at each and every person before he spoke.

"You are all my friends, my family. I could not have asked for a group of better men...and women. Your loyalty is worth more to me than all the gold in Erebor. However, that gold, is rightfully yours, too. We will go to Erebor...and we will ask the Vikings to accompany us."

The Viking teens pulled back, shock on all their faces. However, they dared not speak, for fear of being discovered. They sat there for a few minutes, listening for more talking. When none came, they dared to peek over the rafters again. All the Ereborians had spread out around the room. Thorin was at the fireplace, smoking his pipe. Dwalin and Bofur still sat at the table, glaring across it at each other. Frodo and Bilba stood near Thorin, Bilba clinging to her son and watching as Lydia paced like a caged dragon. Dori was leaning against a wall, while Nori and Ori hovered nearby worriedly. Balin, Fili and Kili also stood near Thorin. Bifur stood alone, smoking, Bombur had brought forth food from one of his pockets as he drifted around the room and ate. Oin and Gloin stood together, watching everyone else warily.

Slowly, a low humming filled the room, rising in volume, until Thorin started to sing. His voice was deep and beautiful, but it was in that language none of them could understand. He sang a verse as his wife and son stepped into his space beside him and joined in on the second verse. Lydia froze in her pacing, watching everyone warily. Dwalin and Bofur's glares softened as they both joined in on a third verse. Fili and Kili joined in the fourth, and then it was just Thorin, Frodo, Fili, and Kili singing the fifth verse for a moment. When the sixth came along, everyone joined in, their voices blending in perfectly together. The song grew in volume as their voices carried into the seventh and eighth verses, reaching the loudest point, but it still remained slow and mournful. They knew enough to know that the song was weaving a beautiful story from their shared past. Though they could not understand the words, the song sent shivers down their spines. There was so much power behind the song that it moved them. The Ereborians felt very strongly about what they were singing.

Finally, all the others fell silent, and then Lydia's voice carried over it all on the ninth and final verse, clear and pure, and when the last word left her mouth, they remained silent as the song rang through the grand room. The Viking teens knew this was a private moment of sorrow and remembrance, and they should not have listened in on it. In silent agreement, they all slid quietly out the rafters, sliding down the roof and onto the ground, moving off towards the Dragon Training Academy to discuss what they'd heard.

* * *

This was the chapter I've been building towards. I loved writing this one, with all the power and plot it had...I'm VERY proud of it. Obviously, I can't put the lyrics in here it's against the FF guidelines. Shame. I was singing the nine verses I picked from the original even as I wrote this. PM me if you wanna know the verses I used.

(Geez, longer chapters every time! This is turning into a monster-sized fic.)

Review please.


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